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Markey (Old) Courts Senate support in Lowell

By Robert Mills, rmills@lowellsun.com

Updated:
02/21/2013 08:51:26 AM EST

LOWELL -- U.S. Rep. Ed Markey's father grew up one of five children on the first floor of a triple-decker at 88 Phillips Street, in South Lawrence, and three years ago Markey returned and knocked on the door to see who was living in the place of his roots.

Markey, D-Malden, told supporters and potential voters gathered at a campaign stop in the Old Court pub in downtown Lowell Wednesday night that he met a family of immigrants from the Dominican Republic.

"The accents were different, but the aspirations were the same," he said.

Markey, who is running for the U.S. Senate seat vacated by Secretary of State John Kerry, said he wants to make sure the American dream that his family experienced, going from a triple-decker in South Lawrence to Congress, is a dream every family can achieve.

"The only way we can do that is if we ensure a democratization of access to education, to health care, that provides a pathway for every child to become whatever it is that they want to become," Markey said.

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"In my way of thinking, that's what our country is all about."

Former U.S. Attorney Michael Sullivan, state Rep. Daniel Winslow, R-Norfolk, and former Navy SEAL Gabriel Gomez have announced intentions to run for the Republican nomination. Republican Sean Bielat said earlier Wednesday that he no longer plans to run.

Markey is facing off with U.S. Rep. Stephen Lynch, D-Boston, for the Democratic nomination.

Markey, who has represented parts of the North Shore and Metrowest region in congress for 36 years, said that, if elected, he will join the Senate with more experience in the House of Representatives than anyone else who has made that jump.

From 1982 to 1992, Markey represented Wilmington, Tewksbury and Billerica until redistricting moved those communities to another district.

Several people from Greater Lowell said they are already Markey supporters even though he has never represented them. In 36 years in congress, Markey has left a voting record that Carol Quinn and Michelle Collette, both of Groton, already support.

Quinn and Collette drove from Groton to meet Markey for the first time, but they already stand behind his record on the environment and social-justice issues.

"I think he has a superb voting record," said Collette.

Quinn said that despite the recent popularity of so-called "Washington outsiders," she sees Markey's experience as a plus, especially since the Bay State recently lost two experienced senators.

With political neophyte Elizabeth Warren now the state's senior senator, Quinn said she thinks Markey's experience can help both him and Warren work more effectively in Washington.

Janet Dubner and Derrick Gates, of Chelmsford, said they have already gone to work collecting signatures for Markey, even though they were meeting him for the first time Wednesday night.

They cited his record and support for President Barack Obama's initiatives.

Dubner likes Markey's support for women's rights and gun control, particularly his support of bans on assault weapons and large magazines.

Later, in his stump speech, Markey mentioned all of those topics and promised to "stand shoulder to shoulder" with Obama.

He said he will work to push clean-energy sources, both as way to help the environment and as a way to create jobs. He promised to be a strong voice for women's rights and equal pay, and for the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender communities. He supports a pathway to citizenship for illegal immigrants.

Richard Pitkin, of Lowell, also cited Markey's previous votes as the reason for his support, noting Markey's record on the environment and Internet neutrality.

"He believes the function of government is to make sure large companies don't abuse the populace," Pitkin said. "He's got a track record on that."

Markey, too, cited his experience as a plus.

"I'm going to use that experience to help make that institution work for the people of our country," he said.

He promised to work with conservatives and tea-party representatives if they want to work together, and he promised to fight them if they want to fight.

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